US President Donald Trump is considering resuming the bombing campaign against Iran as peace talks remain stalled, Axios reported on Monday, citing three US officials familiar with the matter.
On Sunday, Trump rejected Iran’s latest terms as “totally unacceptable” and said the ceasefire reached around a month ago is “on massive life support.”
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According to Axios, Trump was set to meet with his national security team on Monday to discuss the next steps, including potentially resuming Project Freedom – an operation aimed at guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz – as well as restarting airstrikes and hitting the remaining 25% of targets identified by the Pentagon but not yet struck.
The Washington Post, citing a CIA assessment, reported last week that Iran retained around 75% of its pre-war mobile launchers and 70% of its missiles, and could withstand a US naval blockade for at least three to four months.
Trump suspended Project Freedom within 24 hours of announcing it last week, following a request from Pakistan, which has acted as a mediator in the conflict. NBC later reported that the president shelved the initiative after Saudi Arabia refused to allow the US to use its bases and airspace to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
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Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on Sunday that the US has “no alternative” but to accept Tehran’s terms.
“The longer they drag their feet, the more American taxpayers will pay for it,” he wrote on X. Iranian state media described Trump’s demand to shut down the country’s nuclear sites as “a non-starter that Iran has rejected for decades.”
According to Press TV, Iran’s conditions include lifting the sanctions, reparations, and a new framework governing the Strait of Hormuz that recognizes “Iran’s sovereign control over this vital waterway.”
